Shanghai Ocean Aquarium 2026: Family Fun & Ticket Booking Guide

Top Shanghai Family-Friendly Spot:

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium Review & Ticket Booking Guide

Written & Photographed by ©Hi-Booboo

Planning a trip to Shanghai with your kids?

If you're visiting in the summer,

you'll definitely find yourself looking for cool indoor attractions.

Today, I'll share our experience at the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium,

which is perfect for a cool indoor getaway,

along with our review and ticket booking tips!

If you're looking for a kid-friendly spot in Shanghai,

I highly recommend the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium,

which is located right in Lujiazui.

Since it's super close to the Oriental Pearl Tower,

it's perfect to pair up for a day's itinerary.

Normally, it closes at 6:00 PM,

but during the summer peak season,

it extends its hours until 9:00 PM until the end of August.

Keep this in mind when planning your itinerary!

How to Book Tickets

Unfortunately, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

isn't a free indoor attraction.

You'll need to purchase admission tickets.

Here’s a pro tip: instead of buying them at the ticket booth,

it's much cheaper to book in advance through the partner link

I’ll share below.

✅ Plus, if you book ahead, you can enter directly using a QR code,

meaning you can skip the long ticket lines

at the entrance completely. It's incredibly convenient!

If you buy on-site, adult tickets are 160 RMB, which is around ~$23.

💡 But if you book through Trip.com,

it’s only ~$22, saving you over ~$1.

Even better, if you book for 2 adults in advance,

you get an extra discount of about ~$3!

As a quick tip, children under 1 meter (or under 4 years old)

can enter for free, so keep that in mind when booking.

❗️ You can book your Shanghai Aquarium tickets

at the best rate right here!

​

▼ Book Shanghai Ocean Aquarium Tickets ▼

Now, let me share our family's

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium visit review.

Thanks to booking our Shanghai Aquarium tickets

in advance at a discount,

we scanned our QR code and walked right in.

The ticket line at the entrance was actually quite long,

so we were incredibly glad we booked ahead!

We visited with our 2-year-old baby.

Since there are escalators and elevators throughout,

navigating with a stroller was absolutely a breeze.

Most of the visitors were families

with young kids,

though I also spotted quite a few couples on dates.

With displays lower down at kid eye level,

there were marine animals everywhere, making it so fun to explore.

My baby was absolutely mesmerized looking around,

and I was so glad we chose to visit this indoor aquarium!

We had a stroller, so we took the elevator,

but the path going down via the escalator

was designed to look just like an underwater tunnel!

This is also a super popular photo spot for social media,

so if you’re riding the escalator,

make sure to snap a picture!

We also admired all the colorful fish

while staying nice and cool in the air conditioning.

There was even a cute little seal greeting everyone,

so we made sure to wave back and say hello!

There was also a polar zone where the penguins hang out.

There weren't too many of them,

but seeing them all huddled together was so adorable.

The jellyfish exhibit is the perfect spot for some amazing photos.

We got to see a much wider variety of shapes and colors

of jellyfish than I expected,

which fascinated the adults just as much as the kids.

Photos come out beautifully here,

so make sure to capture some great family shots or solo portraits.

Lastly, you'll walk through the underwater tunnel

along a slow-moving travelator.

This section is surprisingly long,

and it was such a highlight because you can see

all kinds of marine life like stingrays, sharks, fish, and turtles all at once!

At the very end of the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium,

there is a gift shop.

It's a great spot to grab some cute plushies,

so be sure to take a look.

Personally, I thought the fluffy seal plushie

was incredibly cute!

If you're looking for the best places to visit with kids in Shanghai,

I highly recommend the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium.

It's perfect for families since you can explore safely

indoors under the cool air conditioning.

Plus, with so many marine animals at kid-friendly eye levels,

my little one was completely fascinated

and had so much fun!

So, click the link below to get them cheaper than purchasing on-site

Book your tickets now and have an amazing trip to Shanghai!​

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